


what was the word?

by ivyxwrites



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Future Fic, I guess it's sort of a, Idiots in Love, M/M, of all the various things i never know how to tag, this is probably the biggest "dunno how to tag this"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-23 11:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23710612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivyxwrites/pseuds/ivyxwrites
Summary: Bart gets the feeling Jaime is always forgetting words mid-sentence. He has to admit it's pretty funny whenever his best friend grumbles through his repertoire of exclamations, snapping his fingers and doing whatever else he thinks will help spark his memory. Usually, it doesn't work, and someone has to offer the word he's searching for. Bart thinks Jaime's triumphant smile is the best thing that's ever happened to him.orThree times Jaime forgets what word he wants to say and the one time he doesn't
Relationships: Bart Allen/Jaime Reyes
Comments: 18
Kudos: 96





	what was the word?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LesbianaCansada](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesbianaCansada/gifts).



> Lyssa and I were talking about what a struggle it is to have grown up speaking two languages because your brain always forgets words when you most need it. We then talked about how Jaime Reyes absolutely would have this exact same problem and then I thought: "this would make a wonderful 3 +1, fic!" 
> 
> And I was right. 
> 
> I then proceeded to work through this ridiculous baby out of some sense of self-indulgence (like I write mostly everything) and validation, and I'm pretty proud of how it turned out. The ending is still dubious, but I hope you like how ridiculous boys can get sometimes when feelings are involved. 
> 
> Alternate title would've probably been: "How to fall irrevocably in love with your best friend, a comprehensive guide by Bartholomew Henry Allen II." or maybe "Falling in love with your best friend in three acts (plus one)" but that would've been too many ors in the description and I'm certainly that bitch, but not _that_ bitch. 
> 
> A huge thank you to my bestest friend Lyssa, who's always there to help me through writing, and who points out that "rotundly" can in no way mean the same thing it's Spanish counterpart (rotundamente) actually means. That is also a big bilingual mood. It's hard--it's hard an no one understands. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did! Make sure to leave a small comment if you did, I promise I answer all of them!

Growing up speaking two languages, Jaime was prone to confusing words and translations. It usually happened when he was talking in Spanish, but there would be other times when the only word that came to his mind was  _ el trapo  _ while he was trying to ask Milagro to pass him the rag so he could clean the windows. Since he got the scarab, however, the times that he actually forgot a word for more than three seconds had lowered to almost never. 

  
  


Didn’t mean he had stopped doing it altogether. 

  
  


Bart heard him stop mid-sentence to think for the first time after a training session in the Watchtower, a couple of months or so after the Reach had been kicked out of the Earth. Jaime had had previous encounters with the Green Lanterns in the past, when he had first gotten the scarab attached to his back, and now that the crisis had been averted, all three human Green Lanterns had sort of, not really, but kind of taken the Blue Beetle under their wing (rings, hah). 

  
  


Which is why the three of them (strangely, all currently on Earth) were having their fun pushing Jaime around the aerial training room. Because they could, and because they were a little sadistic, Bart thinks. 

  
  


“C’mon, kid!” Hal Jordan yells, moving away from a cannon blast that Jaime had blindly thrown his way when the oldest Green Lantern had kicked him with a green boot construct, “‘Sthat all you got?” 

  
  


Bart taps his foot anxiously against the Watchtower aluminum floors, the sound echoing in the room but not enough to drown out the sounds of battles. Although he knew the scarab on Jaime’s back was already off-mode, it was still irritating to see the Green Lanterns be so pushy with his best friend. 

  
  


“Captain Jordan!” Jaime screams, and Bart laughs a little because he’s probably the only one who calls Hal  _ Captain Jordan _ , “I don’t think the scarab does well with taunting!” 

  
  


“Ah, who cares about the bug?” Guy Gardner, coming from Jaime’s left to bonk him on the head with a giant construct of an unidentifiable source, yells, “This isn’t about the bug!” 

  
  


Jaime narrowly escapes one of Hal’s miniature fighter planes, and he huffs annoyed, “You’re both bullies,” he says, “John? Why won’t you make them stop?” 

  
  


John who, so far, hadn’t really taken part in terrorizing the teeneger, only laughed from his place on the ground. Bart had seen the man’s constructs, and he was kind of glad that he wasn’t up in the air fighting with Jaime the same way the other two were. Stewart’s constructs were of the solid kind, and the Green Lantern’s military background usually meant he used gun-constructs in fights. 

  
  


“Alright,” John finally speaks up, caging both his teammates with a flourish of his hand, stopping their next attacks altogether, “I think Jaime’s had enough for today.” 

  
  


Blue Beetle, still hovering in the air, heaves a heavy sigh that Bart can hear all the way from the ground, and mutters a wobbly ‘gracias’. Finally coming down to the floor, the armor retracts enough so that Jaime’s face can be seen, and both Hal and Guy come to pat him in the back. 

  
  


“You’re getting better!” Hal says, and laughs heartily, “You managed to not get carried away by the train this time.” 

  
  


Bart winces, remembering the first time Hal had constructed the train (albeit a smaller version of it than he used during actual fights) Jaime had been easily caught by the front of it and carried a couple of meters away. His friend had had an angry bruise on his side for two or three weeks after that. Hal had apologized, but Bart still thought no Lantern should be in charge of kids--ever. 

  
  


“Yeah, sure,” Jaime mumbles, swaying a bit in his place when Guy also claps him on the back, “I finished reading Ted’s book, by the way,” he tells the red head, “it’s in my locker, I’ve been meaning to give it back.” 

  
  


Guy shook his head, plucking a water bottle from the cooler in the far side of the room with a hand construct, “It’s yours, kid,” he tells Jaime, “Ted probably would’ve wanted you to have it.” 

  
  


Bart watches as something close to nostalgia crosses Jaime’s face momentarily, before a half-smile appears on his face. They’ve talked before about Ted Kord’s passing and how Reyes really didn’t have a mentor to look up to. The older boy had never spoken about it as if he was angry about it, but rather, melancholic. Like there was a piece of himself that was missing, but he wasn’t sure how to fix it. Bart could never comfort him. 

  
  


“Thank you, Guy,” Jaime says, much more up-beat, and then, quieter, he adds, “is there anything else in Ted’s old boxes that could help me?” 

  
  


Guy hums, drinking his water, and then adds, “Sure. Ted had a lot of shit, I’m pretty sure I can find something.” 

  
  


Again, that small half-smile, and then Jaime turns to Bart. 

  
  


“Uh, Bart,  _ hermano, _ ” he says, lifting a hand to point at something, “would you mind tossing me my--” 

  
  


He stops there. Bart raises an eyebrow his way, but Jaime just blinks, staring straight at him with an intent Impulse ( _ Kid Flash, damn it _ ) had never seen on the older boy before. His outstretched hand, the one he had been pointing with, opens and closes a couple of times, as if willing whatever object he wanted into it. Reyes pops his mouth and groans in the back of his throat. 

  
  


“ _ El termo _ ,” Jaime says then, distressed, “Fuck, what was the name?” 

  
  


The three Green Lanterns turn to look at each other, confused, while Jaime continues to gurgle unintelligible phrases under his breath. He’s still standing with an outstretched arm, but now he’s alternating between snapping his fingers on each hand and clapping them together. Bart thinks it’s hilarious, but he still has no idea what Jaime is trying to ask him. 

  
  


“Jaime,” he says, trying to keep his laughter at bay, “do you want me to pass you your  _ water bottle _ ?” 

  
  


The sound of pure glee that comes from Jaime is new to Allen, but it’s still nice to hear. 

  
  


The older boy claps his hands loudly one last time, and then points at Bart, “My  _ water bottle _ ! Yes! That’s what I want!” 

  
  


Bart leans back on his knees to reach for the bottle (it’s the Kid Flash themed one that Bart got for Jaime as his “off-mode present”) and tosses it to his best friend. 

  
  


“Did you--” Bart tries to swallow down his laughter, but it’s almost impossible, “Jaime,  _ her-ma-no _ , did you just forget what the word for water bottle is?”

  
  


It’s not very often Bart gets to see Jaime blushing to the tip of his ears. The speedster cackles, zooming off to grab his cell phone from where he left it at the lockers, and snaps a quick picture of Jaime like that. The older boy reacts by flipping him off. 

  
  


// 

  
  


The second time it happens, they’re a little older. 

  
  


It’s been two years since Jaime and his scarab have been off-mode, and both Flash and Kid Flash had acted as backup for Blue Beetle down in Mérida. Jaime had been visiting his grandmother down in Ciudad de México when a freak storm had hit the coast of Yucatán, and he’d been the first Team member or Leaguer to arrive at the scene. Jaime had done an absolutely wonderful job by himself, going so far as to threaten Bruce Wayne on the phone to keep civilians safe.

  
  


After, when it’s over, Blue Beetle and the two speedsters zeta back to the Watchtower. 

  
  


“You did amazing out there, Beetle,” Barry praises him, ruffling Jaime’s hair with a smile on his face, “I’ll go write the mission report for us, you stay here to decompress, alright?” 

  
  


Jaime doesn’t answer the Flash, as Bart’s grandfather leaves the locker-room and the door slams shut behind him. Kid Flash is about to say something, congratulate his friend on a job well-done, but the words die in his throat when Jaime slams his locker door shut. Bart startles, the door is dented and Blue Beetle curses. 

  
  


“Whoa,  _ her-ma-no _ ,” Bart tries, making his voice small, “what’s wrong?” 

  
  


“Everything is fucking wrong,” Jaime answers, dropping into the bench behind him, already armored down to a white t-shirt and shorts, “ _ Estoy hasta la pinche verga de esta pendejada _ .” 

  
  


Bart knows enough spanish to know whatever Jaime said is  _ no bueno _ , so he tip-toes his way around his best friend and kneels down in front of him. Carefully, so as to not startle Reyes, Bart places a soft hand on his knee, and squeezes to gain his attention. 

  
  


“Hey, Blue, buddy,” Allen mumbles, trying to catch Jaime’s eyes, “tell me what’s wrong?” 

  
  


Blue Beetle won’t meet his eye. Kid Flash can already see tears pooling in brown eyes, and his heart feels crushed underneath the sight. Bart doesn’t know what to do, so he waits for his friend to be ready. 

  
  


“I screwed up,” Jaime mumbles, still not looking at Bart, “I should’ve--” 

  
  


Bart stops him before he keeps talking, because he knows where this is going, “Blue, c’mon,” he says, shuffling closer to his friend, “You saved so many people today.” 

  
  


“No!” Jaime yells, finally turning to look into green eyes, “I screwed up! I should’ve called in for back-up earlier! I should’ve--” 

  
  


Jaime’s voice breaks, and he trails off. Bart doesn’t dare to back off. He holds his friend’s gaze without faltering. 

  
  


“I should’ve saved them all,” Jaime whispers, “I lost 21 people today, Bart. There’s 21 people who won’t get to go home to their families.” 

  
  


Bart’s heart does that thing again where it feels like it’s being crushed by the weight of the world, and Kid Flash has to remind himself to breathe. He knows what this is. He’s gone through this himself--hell, he’ll probably go through that exact count in his head at night, curled up in Jay’s arms while the older speedster tells him there’s nothing he could’ve done. Right now, he understands Blue Beetle’s anger, and feels his own turmoil knock around in his ribs, making him uncomfortable. Despite his own feelings of helplessness, however, Bart has to be the stronger one for his friend. 

  
  


"Jaime," he starts, his voice a little shaky, "I promise you, you were great out there. You handled the situation like any Leaguer would've handled it--probably better than some of them! We can't always save them all." 

  
  


Jaime's jaw clenches and he closes his eyes. The tears that have been gathering there stick to his upper eyelashes and trail down his cheeks. The hand that connects Bart to Jaime shakes when his friend starts crying. 

  
  


Bart stands up to sit next to his friend on the bench, and wraps an arm around his middle, letting Jaime curl up against his side. They're roughly the same size now that Bart's hit his second growth spurt, but it's still awkward because of their position. Nevertheless, Bart holds on to his friend, and shushes him gently the same way Joan does when Bart's woken up from a nightmare. 

  
  


He has no idea how long it's been when Jaime's finally stopped crying, but Bart is glad when his friend sits up, sniffling slightly. Not only was Bart suckish at giving comfort, he also hadn't changed out of the Kid Flash suit, and the spandex was getting really uncomfortable. 

  
  


"Ah, fuck," Jaime says, once he's finally stopped crying, "I'm sorry, man, that sucked."

  
  


Bart smiles at him and pats the back of his neck, where his arm is still loosely around Jaime, "Nah, it's alright," he says, and means it, "I'm glad I was here for you."

  
  


Jaime's laugh sounds wet with the last traces of crying, but Bart revels in it nevertheless. He scooches closer to his friend and nuzzles the side of his neck affectionately, which makes Reyes' laugh louder. Feeling victorious, Bart presses his mouth against Jaime's jawline and tries to blow a raspberry. It fails, but it sure makes Blue Beetle laugh. 

  
  


"Bart!" Jaime screeches, when Kid Flash tries it again, "Stop, you know I'm--" laughter bubbles out of Reyes, "You know I'm--" 

  
  


Jaime keeps trailing off on that last sentence, so Bart thinks it's not necessarily tickle-related. He tries one more raspberry before leaning back and poking Jaime's side to keep it going.

  
  


"You're what, Blue?" 

  
  


Jaime snorts, trying to push Bart's fingers away to no avail. The speedster knows that his friend could easily call his armor to stop the tickling, but doesn't because he likes Bart's antics just as much as Bart does. 

  
  


"C'mon!" Bart taunts again, "You're what? Finishes your sentences, Beetle!"

  
  


"I'm  _ cosquilludo _ !" Jaime exclaims, trying to twist away from Bart (but Bart's faster) " _ Mierda _ , I can't remember the word!" 

  
  


He keeps laughing. Bart wonders if it has occurred to him that he could stand up from the bench to put a stop to this. Kid Flash won’t complain when he has the upper hand, anyways.

  
  


"You're  _ ticklish _ ?" Bart teases, still poking him, and there's a warm feeling spreading across his chest when he hears Jaime's triumphant (but shaky) yelp. 

  
  


"Yes! Ticklish!" Blue Beetle snorts again, and Bart thinks he shouldn't find it as adorable, "That's what I was looking for!"

  
  


Kid Flash keeps making Jaime laugh until he's forgotten about his worries (he knows he'll go home to his parents and feel like shit, but Bart's doing what he can) and only slightly teases him about forgetting the word "ticklish" out of all the words in the world. 

  
  


//

  
  


The third time it happens, it's on Mexican national television. 

  
  


It's been six years since Jaime and Khaji Da have been off mode. Jaime isn't a League member (although he's been offered membership twice in the past year) but he still makes time to do what he can for the world. Bart isn't a League member ( _ yet _ ) because the League still thinks he’s "too young", and because grandpa Barry insists on never retiring just to spite him. They still see each other regularly, even with Jaime's part-time job at Kord Industries and Bart's second year in art school, so life is good. 

  
  


They're called down to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato (that's in México, Bart's learned not to ignore the states anymore) on official business so the latest iteration of the team heads down to salvage the historical heritage of the city. They're aiding some local legacy heroes, so the problem is resolved in a flash (hah!) 

  
  


While Red Robin and Wildcat are still apprehending the villain ( _ La Momia _ , because they had to stay on theme) and filing the appropriate report with the police, Bart busies himself with clean-up duty. He's being helped by Wonder Girl in this endeavor, so when the press arrives, it's only the bug-themed heroes that are available for interviews. 

  
  


_ Chapulín _ is smart, so she ducks away from the people and acts like she has Very Important Business to attend to with Wildcat, but Jaime--poor Jaime is never fast enough to avoid reporters. 

  
  


" _ ¡Escarabajo, por aquí! _ " they call to him, while Jaime looks desperate for a way out, " _ ¡Por favor!  _ A few words, sir!"

  
  


And Jaime (sweet, innocent, wonderful Jaime) allows it because he's an idiot

  
  


" _ Claro _ , okay,  _ uno a la vez, por favor, _ " he says, bringing his hands up to try to appease the people, " _ Solamente una pregunta. No hay mucho tiempo. _ " 

  
  


Someone asks him (if Bart's hearing  _ and _ knowledge of the spanish language is good enough) what it feels to be helping down here in Mexico now that, legally, they were finally allowed to. Bart tries not to curse under his breath. He knows Jaime can get really uncomfortable when pulled into politics (there was that fiasco a few years back where he was asked what he thought on illegal immigration, and that was bad), and hopes he doesn’t need to intervene.

  
  
  


" _ Ah, sí, estamos muy contentos, de verdad _ ," Jaime says smiling, and the reporters swoon, " _ La verdad ayudar gente para nosotros es muy importantes estamos muy-- _ " Jaime's impassioned speech falters for a second and Bart tries not to laugh, " _ estamos muy--uh--¿cuál es la palabra que estoy buscando? _ "

  
  


Bart would like to cackle madly. Leave it to their bilingual hero to forget how to translate in front of the press. Everyone stares expectantly at him, which only seems to be making Jaime more nervous, so Kid Flash readies himself just in case he has to swoop in to save his best friend from public embarrassment.

  
  


" _ Bueno, estamos muy-- _ " he stops to think for another second, and then laughs sheepishly, " _ estamos muy _ thrilled?"

  
  


The reporters all laugh. That warm feeling in Bart's chest that's been growing bigger and bigger for years suddenly fills his entire body. Only Jaime Reyes could be this endearing while making a mistake. 

  
  


Someone in the crowd translates the word for him ( _ entusiasmados _ ) and Jaime laughs once more, thanks the pretty blonde reporter, and finishes giving a heartfelt speech on the redundancy of borders when it comes to helping people. 

  
  


Bart sighs, feeling something tug in his chest. 

  
  


It's been six years since Jaime and Khaji Da have been off mode. It's probably been four since he'd fallen in love with his best friend. 

  
  


/+1/ 

  
  


Once they’re back at the Watchtower, Tim offers to log their mission report, and makes an offhand joke about how Jaime can’t be trusted with his words today. Bart laughs when Reyes audibly growls at Tim, and throws a hand around his best friend’s shoulder to guide him to the locker-rooms before he can kill their team leader. 

  
  


“I swear to god,” Jaime says, toweling his hair dry after he’s come out of the shower, “you forget a word  _ once  _ on national television, and no one lets you forget it.” 

  
  


Bart wants to tell him this isn’t the first time he’s forgotten words, but doesn’t because that would be maybe too much. Blue Beetle is in high spirits, despite his complaints, and Kid Flash would like to bask in the glow of his happiness a little while longer. 

  
  


“Don’t worry,” Bart tells him, passing a hand through his wet hair--he needs a haircut, soon, “Jay sent me a screenshot just a little while ago about your newfound fame. Everyone loves you.” 

  
  


Jaime lets out a short, amused sort of breath, and grabs his phone from his locker (undented, now, because someone in the tower fixed it for him; Bart still thinks it was Booster Gold) so he can check his messages. 

  
  


“Ah, damn it,” Reyes says, but laughs through his words, “word got to my family about the incident--I think I’ve just become a Leal meme.” 

  
  


Bart, finally in civvies, rushes over to where Jaime is smiling at his phone, and barks out a laugh once he gets a peak of what’s going on in the Leal family group chat. The speedster has met his best friend’s maternal family a few times in the past (extended families are  _ scary _ , especially Jaime’s extended family) and he knew how quick they were to mock each other. Bart almost felt bad that it was Jaime’s turn to be mocked relentlessly, knowing that the joke would last for the rest of Jaime’s life. 

  
  


“Being a public superhero has its downsides,” Bart tells him, patting the side of Jaime’s head as he moves away from his friend’s personal space, “want to get something to eat before you have to go back to Kord’s?” 

  
  


Jaime hums, locking his phone and shoving it into his back pocket, “Can we get burgers from Stork Diner?” he asks, “I need a milkshake.” 

  
  


“Ivy Town or Central?” Bart asks, shutting his locker, “Cause milkshakes are better in Central.” 

  
  


Blue Beetle looks offended, as he grabs the backpack he’d stuffed into the locker hours earlier, “El Paso has the best milkshakes.” 

  
  


Kid Flash throws his head back and laughs, throwing his arm around Jaime as the older man passes him. They walk like that out of the locker-rooms, still talking among themselves in hushed whispers, like there’s a secret between them that the rest of the League shouldn’t find out about. They get funny looks from some of the older members around the Watchtower, but they mostly ignore them. 

  
  


“Hey, Blue,” Bart says, when they’ve finally reached the main zeta tubes, “race you there?” 

  
  


Before he can actually get away from Jaime, however, his best friend stops him by the arm around his waist (and, hey, Bart hadn’t even noticed that was there) and Kid Flash shifts his eyes down (because Bart’s been taller than Jaime for a year now) to stare in confusion. Jaime stares right back, but doesn’t say anything. 

  
  


“Blue?” Bart prompts, laughing a little, “Did you forget a word again?” 

  
  


“ _ Te amo _ ,” Jaime says, and Bart feels the breath knocked out of him with the sheer sincerity of Reyes’ voice. “Wait, do you know what that means?” 

  
  


Bart stares at his friend (is it okay to call Jaime his friend  _ now _ ?) and doesn’t say anything, because he has no idea what he  _ could  _ say. He wasn’t expecting his good buddy Blue to just come out and say something like that (if he was even saying what Bart  _ thought _ he was saying) and now Kid Flash is stuck to the ground, unable to react. 

  
  


“It means--” Jaime begins, ready to lay down his heart and soul in front of Bart. 

  
  


Bart stops him, his own messy feelings bubbling from somewhere deep inside him “I love you, too,” he says, urgently, as if Jaime could change his mind at any moment, and then adds, “But I fail to see how this is the best way to say it to me--like, yeah, I’m not complaining, I’ve been hoping you’d say that for a while now buthonestly ididn’texpectyoutosayitatalland nowi’mveryconfused astowhy youthoughtthiswasagoodideaand--” 

  
  


Jaime laughs, shaking his head, “I got about 5% of what you said,” he says, looking sheepish, “but I can ask Khaji to play it back and--” 

  
  


Kid Flash interrupts him again, choosing instead to grab Jaime by his face and leaning down to kiss him. Blue Beetle tenses up, surprised, and Bart is about to move away, embarrassed, until Jaime’s hands find the hair in the back of his neck and they both melt into the kiss. It’s soft and innocent, and Bart can’t believe it’s really happening. 

  
  


There’s a soft crackle of electricity and Jaime groans against Bart’s mouth ( _ hot, hot, hothothothot, _ Bart’s mind supplies to him unhelpfully), moving away from Kid Flash to blink comically up at him, “Did you just mildly electrocute me?”

  
  


“Is that what the scarab said I did?” Bart counters, sheepishly, but he can’t really make the small wisps of current disappear from between his fingers, “I’m sorry?” 

  
  


Jaime laughs, bumping his forehead against Bart’s jawline. It’s not painful, and the speedster sighs contentedly as he tucks Jaime’s head against his neck. 

  
  


“Okay, but like, not that I’m complaining but,” Allen speaks up after a few seconds, “why now?” 

  
  


Blue Beetle laughs again and the soft hum of the scarab that Bart is barely ever aware of gets a little louder with the question. Meaning Khaji Da was probably either throwing a fit or having a good time berating Jaime in his head. Either way, Bart simply awaits the answer, happy to be in that moment. 

  
  


“I don’t know,” Jaime says, “you know how, as portrayed by today’s events, I always forget stupid words and then you laugh at me about it?” 

  
  


Bart raises an eyebrow, “Did my mocking finally make you fall in love with me?” 

  
  


“No,” Jaime chuckles, shaking his head as he leans back to stare at Bart, “I mean yeah, I guess it was one of the things that hurried this along--but I was explaining that for other reasons.” 

  
  


“Sorry,” Bart dramatically sweeps his arm, “the floor is yours.” 

  
  


“I’ve had it in my head for a while,” Jaime continues, “the loving you part, I mean. Maybe for a couple of years or so. And for the past couple of months I’ve been telling myself I’m going to finally tell you.”

  
  


Jaime falls silent for a moment, so Bart prompts, “And? Why didn’t you?” 

  
  


The older man laughs, “I’m a coward? I don’t know. I don’t really have many explanations,” he shrugs, “I just know there was always something stopping me from saying it to you, and today, there wasn’t.” 

  
  


Another small pause. Bart holds his breath. 

  
  


“I knew exactly what to say,” Jaime continues, “it was right. The words were  _ right there _ , so I took the chance.” 

  
  


Bart can’t help it. He beams at the other man before kissing his forehead and hugging him tighter against himself. He’ll probably tease Jaime about how plainly he had confessed his feelings for Bart (not that he minded), but right now he was just happy that it had happened. 

  
  


Before they know it, the computer drones out some designation neither of them pay any attention to, and Artemis, coming back from a mission, walks into Watchtower. 

  
  


“Finally,” she says, raising her arms up into the air, “it took you guys long enough!” 

  
  


They both laugh, suddenly conscious of the little space between them, and take a step back, away from each other’s arms. Bart instantly feels the missing warmth, but ignores it for the sake of decency. 

  
  


“Not my fault,” he says, “this idiot kept forgetting the words over and over again, so what was I supposed to do?” 

  
  


Artemis raises an eyebrow, hands on her hips, and says, “You could’ve told him how you felt sooner.” 

  
  


Bart stares at his cousin-in-law, no emotion on his face, and promptly flips her off. 

  
  


Jaime laughs, leaning his head on Bart’s shoulder while he does so, and mumbles, “Can we get that milkshake now?” 

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't do this last fic, but FUN TIDBITS ARE BACK: 
> 
> -Jaime, Barry and Bart got into a lot of trouble both with the League and with the International Powers That Be because of the Mérida thing. Because I _finally_ finished reading season 3 of Young Justice, I remembered the whole "Lex wants to tie the superheroes hands behind their backs by trying to register them all" and then I remembered how much it sounded like Marvel's Civil War so like here's what I thought: no cell can operate under the radar of international law for very long in this very, very wicked human's world. Because of that, when the reporters in México ask Jaime how it feels to finally work legally, Jaime is like "Yes, finally! We love legality!" 
> 
> -In truth, I'm sure it was more complicated than that but hey! That's a story to explore somewhere else. 
> 
> -Also, I needed the reporters to ask someone so that's my excuse for getting very political. 
> 
> -I based the Mérida thing on Issue #17 of Blue Beetle (2006), the best Jaime Reyes in existance. If you haven't read it and you love my son, I recommend that you do! Issue #17 is by far one of my favorites in that run and it goes into more and better detail about what Jaime does (and yes, he does in fact threaten Bruce Wayne on the phone and I think that's very sexy of him) 
> 
> -The warm feeling Bart feels is, in my mind, the connection he and Jaime share being made physical by the speedforce. I read this one fic once upon a time where Bart tells Jaime that he's connected to Bart in a very abstract way because Reyes was his lightning rod (lightning rods are CANON and you will pry this hc off my cold dead hands) and so I wanted to make a small nudge at that. Jaime is Bart's lightning rod and so he's also a little bit connected by the speedforce in that sense, so the speedforce is a bluepulse shipper. I take no criticisim on this. 
> 
> -For any non-latines out there: go look for El Chapulín Colorado and revel in the ridiculousness that are mexican superheroes. Granted, he was also a comical character, but I love him, and I will die on the hill that is "El Chapulín Colorado has his own JL in México and there's really all there is to say on that matter." In this case, it isn't the original Chapulín, but rather his predecesor (or maybe 2 times predecesor) who is in Guanajuato. 
> 
> -La Momia stays on theme because Guanajuato is known for their mummies. Why did I make them villains? I don't know, I didn't know what else to put as a villain and so La Momia was born. 
> 
> -Also, Wildcat actually does exist, but I guess it's also a legacy hero and not the original Yolanda Montez. Curiously, most of mexican superheros were originally luchadores libres, so like that's also out there. 
> 
> -I was tempted to also use "El Santo" which is also a luchador-based mexican superhero. He has actually fought the mummies of Guanajuato. This is a fact. Now I feel stupid about not putting him in. 
> 
> -Bart counts time as if Jaime being off-mode was the birth of Jesus. Do with that information whatever you will. 
> 
> -That scene with the reporters, where Jaime forget the translation of "thrilled" and then just says the word outright was based on the Selena Quintanilla movie with JLo (her best role; the MOST important role) where she comes to Monterrey, NL, México and they ask her how she feels about being in México and she's like speaking fluent spanish and shit UNTIL SUDDENLY SHE FORGETS THE WORD FOR "EXCITED" AND BLANKS AND THEN GIGGLE ADORABLY AND SAYS "EXCITED" JUST OUTRIGHT. It's adorable. She's wonderful. Jaime may or may not have thought in his head about how he's the Selena Quintanilla of superheroes (he is). 
> 
> I think for now that's all from me. I'm kinda rushing through these notes because I had _the entire day_ to upload this and I never could because the stupid tags beffudled me (as usual). I might make a Jaime side of this! You know I love making B-sides of my 3 +1s. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!! Warm hugs for everyone!


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